


Honey Thief

by lapish



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Familial Abuse, Narcissism, Psychedelic experiences, Rebellion, Rebirth, Resurrection, Romance, Suffering, Unrequited Love, but also happiness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-07-26 02:20:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20036287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lapish/pseuds/lapish
Summary: Sometimes I doubt the path I choseSometimes my dreams feel all on holdThere's no doubt that this will make me strongBecause it's the hardest thing I've ever doneWhen her son is killed by White Diamond in the Headship, Pink's history has a chance to repeat itself ad nauseum.  The question is, will she let it?





	Honey Thief

**Author's Note:**

> A piece I've had floating around in my head since the finale. Steven Universe is great, but I always thought it could be greater. Give me the rights to an adaptation, Rebecca! Until then, though, have this! I intend to make this into comic form someday as well. Think of it like a slightly alternate universe, up until the opening scene with Pearl. After this prologue it becomes a Very Alternate universe, so be prepared for that. I also plan for it to be kinda dark; in fact, the rating may change to Explicit at some point, so be prepared for that.
> 
> And no, i haven't abandoned my would you rather fic. It's gonna be a while before she updates though. I am Trash.
> 
> please enjoy! and lemme know what you think/your predictions for how i'm gonna take this story! :)

No one ever knew her secret; Pearl had owed her that much, had wanted to give that much and more. 

_ And look what came of it,  _ she thought, curt and bitter. Her brows drew together, she clasped the shoulder strap of Steven’s duffel between her hands and dematerialized it into her gem before taking off at a hurried gait down the halls.

Walking with clipped steps, back straight like she used to, brisk-paced, eyes darting from side to side in the glistening corridors like a bird’s might, Pearl carried on. Like she used to. A dark pit had settled in her stomach ever since returning to Homeworld, though she suspected this evil seed of dread had really been gestating for far longer. 

Still, she knew she had to swallow it. _For Steven_, she reminded herself. _Always for Steven._ Even now, she heard Rose’s voice in the back of her mind, echoing up from the deepest layers. _For Steven_. And under her deep saccharine notes, one more childish, more cheerful called up--although this voice, like it had been for so many centuries, was easy for Pearl to rebury. 

She refocused her efforts on finding Steven’s room, as if she could ever forget. Left, right, left, right, she marched, and in almost no time it all it seemed, she was there.

When the diamond doors slid open, her keen eyes caught glimpses of the Pebbles scattering. They’d never trusted her, as they never had reason to and she never gave them one while she’d still been here. A faint note of regret marked her face, and she winced. 

“Pearl!” Steven cried out, excitement, shock, and relief all plain in his voice. The sight of him had pearl unwinding, lowering shoulders she hadn’t realized she’d raised. Scanning over him quickly revealed no sign of injury, or distress, and she let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding.

“Steven!” she rushed to him, enveloping him in a wide embrace.  _ He’s okay, he’s okay, he’s okay!  _ Her thoughts sang out in a chorus that reverberated through her entire being. “Oh, thank the  _ stars _ , you’re okay!” 

And then reality hit Pearl like a ton of bricks yet again. That nagging seed of dread returned full-force when she suddenly remembered that the last time she’d seen Steven, he’d been spirited away to White’s Headship.  _ Any damage sustained from  _ Her _ … could easily be overlooked.  _ She pulled back, holding Steven’s face between her two pale hands-- _ pale, fragile,  _ shaking _ hands-- _ and reassessed his being.

“What did White Diamond do? Did She hurt you?” Pearl interrogated, afraid of what the answer would be. Steven was quick to reassure her, however.

“No, she was like  _ ‘Welcome home!’ _ ” He clarified, then looked away, uncomfortable. “I don’t think she understands that I’m not Pink Diamond.”  _ Yes,  _ Pearl thought.  _ It’s going to be hard for Her to accept this reality. If she accepts it.  _ She had no time to ruminate, as Steven continued.

“Where’s Connie? And Garnet and Amethyst?” Concern etched in his words. Pearl thought it would be best to simply inform him of where she’d last seen their family: on Pink’s Legship. It would be entirely possible for Blue and Yellow to have moved them by this point, but mentioning so would only cause Steven undue anxiety, she was sure of it.

“They’re still on the ship,” she said carefully, avoiding his gaze. “I’m only here because I’m bringing your things.” She materialized his duffel in her hands, throwing the strap over her shoulder. Annoyance crinkled her features when she added, “And they consider  _ me  _ one of your things.”  _ I wonder how Rose would feel, knowing that nothing has changed.  _ She lost herself in her thoughts for a moment, missing Steven’s disgusted and unnerved reaction entirely.

Then, all of a sudden, the chimes. Pearl was on high alert yet again, having not yet had a chance to decompress.  _ Just like I used to,  _ she couldn’t help but think absently. But there was no time, for she immediately knew whose chime it was.

“The diamond chime,” she informed Steven. “It’s Yellow.” 

When the doors slid open, Pearl half-expected to see Yellow Diamond’s gargantuan boots outlined beyond them. Upon realizing it was only her pearl, she let herself relax--but only a bit. 

“Pink Diamond,” came Yellow Pearl’s nasally proclamation, as she bent forward in Yellow’s modified diamond salute. “My diamond has requested your presence in the Extraction Chamber.” Pearl knew immediately that this was no request.

“Let’s get you into a suit,” she said.

* * *

  
  


Pink Diamond hovered in the passageways leading up to the Extraction Chamber. She’d told Pearl to wait back in her room, to keep the Pebbles company, though now she was regretting it. Severely. How could she work up the nerve to interrupt Yellow without Pearl there to egg her on?

“This is so hopeless,” she muttered, letting herself fall against the wall. She looked up at the faces, those ever-silent statuesque gems that lined the walls. They were everywhere, and had been for as long as Pink could remember. Pink also knew they were alive. 

She always wondered why, and how, but the walls never had answered her before when she’d asked. Yellow and Blue were no help either: Yellow always using it as an excuse to lecture, and Blue always changing the subject. Pink grew to assume that meant something, though she’d never dare to ask White, and Pearl was younger than even she was, so it remained a mystery.

She knew they could hear her, though. Every once in a great while, she’d catch one slipping up. A peeking eye here, soon snapped shut again; a pursed grin if she told a funny enough joke. Still debating whether or not she would actually work up the courage to confront Yellow or not, she decided to try something.

“I know you guys are listening,” she addressed the walls. Nothing. Pink expected that, though, so she pressed on. “You don’t have to pretend,” she said softly. “No one else is around.” She waited a moment, and thought she saw a pair of eyes pop open in her peripherals. When she snapped her gaze to look at them directly, though, they were already closed. She pressed on.

“I don’t know why you aren’t  _ allowed  _ to talk to me,” she began, “but it doesn’t seem very fair.” She smirked. “I bet you all talk to Blue and Yellow all the time!” she whined sarcastically. From a few feet to the left, she caught the sound of someone holding back a surprised laugh, a grunting type of snort. When she looked she saw the gem who had made the noise, blushing profusely, and it’s neighbor, holding up a hand to their mouth to stifle them. When they saw her looking, they snapped back into place. 

Pink slumped, out of ideas, or motivation, or both. She turned, ultimately deciding not to incur Yellow’s inevitable wrath today, when she froze midstep. There, at the end of the corridor, was White’s pearl, arms crossed in that ever-present salute. Pink’s heart sank.  _ I’m done for, _ she thought. She didn’t know why it was bad for her to speak to  _ inanimate  _ gems--oh, how she hated that phrase since she knew how alive they really were--but, she knew if Blue or Yellow wouldn’t tell her, and wouldn’t ever do so themselves, that it must be  _ Bad _ .

“I-I, listen, it really isn’t what it looks like,” Pink stammered, then winced. _ How much did she even  _ see, she wondered, worrying then that she’d needlessly outed her own bad behavior. White Pearl’s even gaze met hers, almost curiously. Pink felt her defenses lower, if only for a second, as she stared back into those lidded blue pools.

“I didn’t see anything, my Diamond,” she offered. She then bowed deeply, and disappeared around the corner, out of sight.

Pink Diamond stayed gawking at the empty space she had left for what felt like minutes more, before she heard Yellow’s footsteps resounding from down the corridors. She took off running back to her room, wondering if she should tell Pearl what had happened. 

  
  



End file.
